Arthashastra — Yogavritta, Sutra 22

Devanagari script

कापटिकोदास्थितगृहपतिकवैदेहकतापसव्यञ्जनाः साहस्राः ॥ कZ_०५.३.२२ ॥

Transliteration

kāpaṭikodāsthitagṛhapatikavaidehakatāpasavyañjanāḥ sāhasrāḥ

Translation

Deceptive operatives (kāpaṭikas), udāsthitas, householder-agents (gṛhapatikas), vaidehakas, ascetic-agents (tāpasas), and ‘disguised’/cover operatives (vyañjanas) are on the thousand-(paṇa) grade.

Word by Word

• कापटिक: a deceiver; one acting with fraud (often as an undercover agent)
• Type: Noun (agent noun)
• Root: कपट
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• उदासीन: an indifferent/neutral-looking person (as a disguise)
• Type: Noun/Adjective (used substantively)
• Root: उदासीन
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• स्थित: stationed; settled; established (as a guise)
• Type: Past participle (adjectival)
• Root: स्था
• Form: कृदन्त (क्त); प्रथमा बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• गृहपति: householder; head of a household (as a disguise)
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहपति
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• कवैदेहक: ‘kavaidehaka’ (unclear term in this reading); likely a specific class/disguise connected with ‘vaidehaka’ (merchant/broker type)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कवैदेहक
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण); (पाठभेद/दुर्बोध-शब्दः)

• तापस: ascetic; hermit (as a disguise)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन (समासपूर्वपद-रूपेण)

• व्यञ्जनाः: disguises; outward marks/indications
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यञ्जन
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग ‘व्यञ्जन’ → पुंलिङ्ग/स्त्रीलिङ्ग बहुवचन-प्रथमा ‘व्यञ्जनाः’ (प्रयोगः: ‘चिह्न/वेष/लक्षण’); प्रथमा बहुवचन

• साहस्राः: (they are) in thousands; numbering a thousand
• Type: Adjective/Numeral (used substantively)
• Root: साहस्र
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; ‘सहस्र’ सम्बन्धि—‘by the thousand / in thousands’

Entities Mentioned

• kāpaṭika
• udāsthita
• gṛhapatika
• vaidehaka
• tāpasa
• vyañjana

More Details

FAQs

What does paying undercover agents at a high grade suggest about Kauṭilya’s statecraft?

Intelligence is treated as a premium capability; higher compensation supports operational security, loyalty, and the costs of maintaining credible cover identities.

Why list multiple ‘social identities’ (householder, ascetic, merchant-type) as agents?

It indicates structured infiltration: the state embeds operatives across social milieus to gather information and shape outcomes without overt force.